Identifying Magic Items: please, update!

[Egres]

From the Save my game article of this week:
Identify costs money -- a lot of money, relatively speaking, for low-level adventurers. More importantly, it takes an insane 8 hours to cast.

From the 3.5 SRD:

Identify

Divination
Level: Brd 1, Magic 2, Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 hour
Range: Touch
Targets: One touched object
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

 

[Thanee]

Yep, they changed that in 3.5, also Analyze Dweomer now only takes a few rounds and can basically be used immediately upon finding magical treasure. My sorceress has this spell and it's really quite nifty. Use in combat to find out about the opponent's spells to know what best to do against them and afterwards use the remaining rounds to identify their stuff.

Bye
Thanee

 

[WampusCat43]

Ya beat me to it - I was just coming in here to post the same thing.

 

[azhrei_fje]

Does anyone else see the Spellcraft DCs listed in the article as being off a little? If I make a table out of the text in the article, it looks like this:

Min CL	Article DC	Proposed DC
1st	20		20
3rd	25		25
5th	30		30
9th	35		40
12th	40		47

It seems to me that the progression is wrong. If every CL +2 increases the DC by +5, then an item with a minimum CL of 9th should have a DC of 40, not 35. And I chose 47 for the DC at 12th caster level as a compromise between 45 and 50.

Edit: updated table to show DCs from the article and my proposed DCs.

I would also change the wondrous item DC progression, but I haven't worked out the details yet.

 

[maggot]

I like their numbers, easier to remember.

 

[Egres]

From the same article:

Analyze dweomer can be used on multiple items simultaneously and is quick to cast, but a spellcaster who fails a save while casting it is exhausted for up to 8 hours!

From the SRD:

Analyze Dweomer

Divination
Level: Brd 6, Sor/Wiz 6
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Targets: One object or creature per caster level
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: None or Will negates; see text
Spell Resistance: No

You discern all spells and magical properties present in a number of creatures or objects. Each round, you may examine a single creature or object that you can see as a free action. In the case of a magic item, you learn its functions, how to activate its functions (if appropriate), and how many charges are left (if it uses charges). In the case of an object or creature with active spells cast upon it, you learn each spell, its effect, and its caster level.

An attended object may attempt a Will save to resist this effect if its holder so desires. If the save succeeds, you learn nothing about the object except what you can discern by looking at it. An object that makes its save cannot be affected by any other analyze dweomer spells for 24 hours.

Analyze dweomer does not function when used on an artifact.

Focus: A tiny lens of ruby or sapphire set in a small golden loop. The gemstone must be worth at least 1,500 gp.

No exhaustion.

 

[frankthedm]

It looks like the Wotc has put an old article up on the web site that was not put up back when it was still current.
3.0
Analyze Dweomer
Divination
Level: Sor/Wiz 6
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 8 hours
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One object or creature
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: See text
Spell Resistance: No
The character discerns spells and magical properties present in a creature or object. One property, spell, or power is revealed each round, from lowest level (or weakest power) to highest (or strongest). For each spell or power, the character makes a caster level check (1d20 + caster level). If the result is equal to or higher than the spell's or power's caster level, the character identifies it. Otherwise, the character fails to identify that spell or power, and the character can check for the next one next round.
Analyze dweomer does not function when used on an artifact.
After the character analyzes one object or creature, the spell ends, even if its duration has not expired yet. The character must make a Fortitude save (DC 21) when the spell ends or be exhausted and unable to do anything but rest for the next 1d8 hours.
Focus: The focus must be worth at least 1,500 gp.

Identify
Divination
Level: Brd 1, Magic 2, Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S, M/DF
Casting Time: 8 hours
Range: Touch
Targets: Up to 1 touched object per level
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
The spell determines the single most basic function of each magic item, including how to activate that function (if appropriate), and how many charges are left (if any). For a weapon, this will be the “plus” to attack and damage.
If a magic item has multiple different functions that are equally basic, identify determines the lowest-level function. If these functions are also of equal level, the DM decides randomly which is identified.
Arcane Material Components: Worth at least 100 gp value.
Much better rules for these spells IMHO. But, the 3.5 spells allow more a more stable magical item market.

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

Somebody should've had the SRD open when they were writing.

In general, though, I don't like the way magic identification in D&D works much, either. Our current group is working mostly with a combination of role-playing and Spellcraft checks for most items.

Might be part of the module, though, as we're in the Age of Worms and we sort of NEED items when we get them, just to stay effective, and yet we didn't have enough cash to bring 50 100gp pearls down there with us to cast on every wand, cloak, bracer, and the like to ping on the radar.

I actually prefer it. For my part, in my own games, I converted the 100gp price to 50gp in "components" ... so there weren't fields and fields of muddy oyster farms trying to keep up with the demand for pearls the world over.

--fje

 

[Pielorinho]

Yeah, I'm also not clear on the design philosophy behind the magic item identification rules. They add nothing except an extra layer of bookkeeping to the game, IMO: they're not fun to use, they don't encourage items to be used immediately, they don't have any risk or mystery to them, and they're expensive, requiring a rare component that makes it impossible to identify items on extended trips away from a base.

A much better system, IMO, would be one that encourages experimentation, the use of skills, and research. I don't know of such a system off the top of my head, but we often roleplay our way into one.

Daniel

 

[Saeviomagy]

A much better system, IMO, would be one that encourages experimentation, the use of skills, and research. I don't know of such a system off the top of my head, but we often roleplay our way into one.

If you want this, roll UMD into spellcraft so more people have it, and then they can go nuts with "activate blindly". One successful activate blindly establishes how to activate one random function of the device. If you satisfy the reqirements of the device (ie - the device is a wand, and you have the spell on your list), you can now use the item as normal. Otherwise you get the +2 bonus.

No information is given as to what the device is actually doing when it works that isn't obvious.

There - experimentation, no need for a spellcaster or identification spells, and plenty of fun too.